TRACE 700™ Version 6.3 Now Available

TRACE 700, Load Design, Load Express, and
Chiller Plant Analyzer updates are now available. The articles below
detail the new features in version 6.3. View
the complete list of changes.

Modeling for LEED®
Certification Now Faster and Easier

The latest version of TRACE 700 introduces exciting new features
that simplify modeling for LEED certification: the LEED Guide, the
Baseline Building Creator, and a complete set of ASHRAE Standard
90.1-2007 construction types and systems.

“Customers
have been requesting TRACE features that simplify the LEED and ASHRAE
90.1 energy simulation process for years,” said Matt Biesterveld,
Customer Direct Service (C.D.S). manager for Trane. “Our new LEED
Guide combines all the great features we’ve added in response to those
requests with a holistic approach that streamlines the entire process.
We believe customers will see real efficiency gains in their LEED
modeling projects.”

The new LEED Guide simplifies the
process of modeling for LEED v2009. It consists of a series of helpful
screens that highlight specific ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2007 requirements
that are relevant to the current TRACE 700 screen. It also provides
convenient access to Table G3.1 from Appendix G of 90.1 and detailed
Help.

Another advanced feature, the Baseline Building
Creator, saves time and improves accuracy by automating the creation
of the baseline building. Using information from the proposed
alternative, it creates the baseline building according to ASHRAE
Standard 90.1 requirements. With a click of a button, the Baseline
Building Creator:

Several new library members have been added to TRACE to help you
model Trane IntelliPak™ and Trane­® Advantage VRF­™ variable
refrigerant products.

Trane IntelliPak Products: A Modeling Guide In an effort to help you more accurately model all of our
equipment product offerings, C.D.S. is working closely with the TOPSS
(Trane Official Product Selection System) development team and Trane
product teams to develop a more efficient and accurate process for
building equipment library members within TRACE.

A
preliminary benefit of these developments is the addition of several
new library members to help you model the following air-cooled unitary
Trane product offerings:

Standard IntelliPak,

High Efficiency IntelliPak,

and the newly developed eFlex Variable Speed Compressor
IntelliPak.

The following documentation is being provided to help you model
these systems as accurately as is currently possible within the
program.

Step 1: Select the correct airside system fan

The three IPAK library members should be modeled as
variable-volume systems. They were built with raw data generated using
VAV indoor fans. As such, on the Fans tab of Create
Systems, the appropriate VAV fan should be selected based on the
specific equipment being modeled (Table 1). To accommodate this, two
new VAV fan library members have been added to the ‘Variable volume’
fan type equipment selection of theFan Equipment Library.

Table 1

Equipment

Fan

Standard IntelliPak

IPAK Std Eff VAV

High Efficiency IntelliPak

IPAK High Eff VAV

eFlex Variable Speed Compressor IntelliPak

IPAK Std
Eff VAV

Special Note: The Intellipak systems can be modeled with a fan
static pressure optimization control strategy. To accommodate this, a
new fan has been added to the ‘Variable volume non SP’ subsection of
the Fan Equipment Library. To model this control strategy,
follow the directions provided in the TRACE User’s Manual (p.
5-13) and apply theIPAK VAV w Crit Zn Reset fan on
the Fans tab of Create Systems.

These new standard equipment library members can be found in the
"Air-cooled unitary" equipment drop-down list in
the Equipment library. The new equipment library members are:

IPAK RTU High Eff 20-75 Ton

IPAK RTU Std Eff 20-75
Ton

IPAK RTU VS eFlex 20-75 Ton

The associated performance unloading curves for each of these
library members have also been added to the standard Curves
library.

Special Notes:

The data used to create the performance curves for each of
these equipment libraries included the condenser fan energy. In
TRACE, we typically model the heat rejection equipment separately.
This deviation from our typical modeling approach is a byproduct of
how performance will be modeled for equipment in the next generation
of TRACE that is currently being developed. We have decided to build
the models in this fashion to reduce manual data manipulation and
drive development of an automated equipment library member process
through a TOPSS selection process. As a result, a new heat rejection
library member has been added to the Heat Rejection library and is
associated with the new Equipment library members. It is called
“Included In Compressor Power” and has an energy rate of zero so
that it never consumes energy when used. We don’t want to double
account for the condenser fan energy that is already being accounted
for in the equipment performance curves.

A new
Controls library member has been added to the Miscellaneous
Equipment library and is associated with each of the new IPAK
library members. It is named IPAK Controls 0.7 KW and represents the
energy draw for the equipment due to the factory integrated controls
package.

In closing, this documentation is provided as a guide to help you
properly set up TRACE to model these specific new standard equipment
library members. Additional support questions can be directed to the
C.D.S. Support Center via phone (608-787-3926) or email (CDSHelp@trane.com).

We would like to thank the Trane large commercial unitary product
growth team for working with the C.D.S. group to further the
TOPSS-to-TRACE automated equipment build development project and put
these new equipment library members in the hands of TRACE customers.
Thank you!

Trane Advantage VRF Products Additional library members have been added to help you model
the new Trane Advantage VRF™ variable refrigerant system. Three size
ranges are available in both heat pump and heat recovery modes:

By varying sizes, you can create a duct system
that delivers the required airflow at a velocity that does not
increase friction loss. In theory, you assume a constant duct friction
rate (as determined by root section parameters, typically 0.1 in. H2O
per 100 feet), and calculate duct dimensions as necessary to maintain
friction loss below the assumed factor.

Equal-friction
methodology is widely used for sizing relatively low-velocity,
low-pressure systems, but with VariTrane
Duct Designer you can apply equal-friction methodology to any
system.

The theory of static-regain design is a
little more complex. The goal of static regain is to keep static
pressure relatively constant throughout the duct system. At diverging
junctions and transitions, velocity pressure decreases to offset
friction losses while static pressure remains unchanged. The static
pressure recovered at each section is known as static regain.

Two-Year TRACE License Offer

For a limited time, when you purchase a two-year license of TRACE
700, TRACE 700 Load Design, TRACE 700 Load Express, or Chiller Plant
Analyzer, you will receive a FREE one-year license to another C.D.S.
software application. See
offer details...

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I back up my TRACE files before installing an update?

Each TRACE 700 update contains new features, enhancements, and bug
fixes. These changes, while beneficial, can impact the results of your
TRACE file. It is always a good idea to back up your files before an
update.

Besides peace of mind, here are some other
reasons to back up your files:

To preserve your file in the version in which it was created
(files are not backwards compatible in TRACE)

To compare
the results from the previous version with the new version

To save a backup of your custom libraries

We recommend that you archive the project, export custom library
members, and zip the resulting files in a separate folder for
safekeeping. If you have a particularly important file that you have
recently completed, you may wish to export your reports for
record-keeping purposes. Each step of the process is explained in the
document below.

District Energy Systems, which are central thermal
energy conversion plants or distribution systems that provide thermal
energy to more than one building, can vary widely in size, scope, and
complexity. From an environmental perspective, it should not matter
whether the building's heating or cooling is generated from the
building itself or in a DES. The U.S. Green Building Council created
a Credit
Interpretation Request (CIR) on this subject due to many LEED
projects inaccurately accounting for DES. The intent of clarifying
this topic was to show to what degree project teams must account for
DES in the scope of the prerequisites and credits in LEED programs.
Furthermore, within the rating system, the only affected credit
category is Energy and Atmosphere.

How can TRACE 700
help with compliance?

There are two paths that can be taken for
compliance—prescriptive and performance. The performance path contains
two options and is most applicable to TRACE 700.

Option
1 (streamlined option): This option is the building stand-alone
scenario and has a points cap for EAc1. The energy model's scope
accounts for only the downstream equipment.

Option 2
(full accounting option): This option is the aggregate building /
district energy system scenario and has a points floor for EAc1 (i.e.,
projects must achieve a certain minimum number of points in order to
use this option). The energy model’s scope accounts for both the
downstream and upstream equipment.

How is each option
modeled in TRACE 700?

We've created a modeling
guide [PDF] that steps through the CIR. The document covers the
basics of modeling district cooling and heating plants to satisfy the
requirements established within the CIR. Working knowledge of the CIR
and LEED is assumed throughout the guide.

What about
the special situations for DES energy models?

The CIR specifically mentions district level Combined
Heat and Power (CHP, or cogeneration), service water heating, and
absorption chillers that are also applied for both options. All three
of the above special situations can be modeled in TRACE 700 by
following the steps for each respective section within the TRACE
700 User’s Manual. TheUser's Manual can be accessed from
TRACE by selecting Help > Documentation > User's Manual.

Meet the C.D.S. Support Staff

NICK CAVITT

Nick joined C.D.S. in June 2013 after eight years as a building
automation systems estimator and engineer for the contracting
department of Damuth Trane in Norfolk, Va. Prior to that, Nick
completed a short stint with Trane in La Crosse working with an air
handling design group. He is originally from Madison, Wis., and has a
degree in mechanical engineering. He recently became a father for the
second time and loves spending time with his wife, two young sons and
two dogs.

What is your favorite piece of technology?

I am unfortunately tethered to my smartphone. Whether it’s
video-chatting with my family via Skype (who are awaiting their move
from Virginia), using it as a GPS to navigate my new surroundings, or
just using it to organize my life, I’ve sadly become overly dependent
on it.

My favorite thing about working in C.D.S. is…

... the fact that I can honestly say that I learn something new each
day. Whether it’s something about the software itself or about how the
industry applies these tools, I relish the fact that I am continually
adding to my knowledge base. I also really enjoy helping people and
being that I’m new to the role, it feels even better when I can help a
customer without having to ask a colleague for assistance or to vet my
answer. My coworkers are great and when everyone has a common goal of
learning and helping others, it makes work enjoyable.

CHRIS WALKOWICZ

Chris joined C.D.S. as a Marketing Engineer in 2011. Chris’
background is in engineering and he has passion for air conditioners.
He loves conversing with customers in the support center and in
training classes. Additionally, he enjoys spending time with his
family, doing home improvement projects, snowplowing and browsing
craigslist on the weekends.

What is your favorite piece of technology?

My garage door opener. I just love pushing that button from 50 feet
away and watching that giant door go up so I can drive in. For that 10
seconds of my life, I feel like the King of England. It is very
special to me that my young son also shares in this fascination.

If you had to live in a TV show for a month, which show would it be
and why?

Without question, I would be in the Emmy award-winning series Ask
This Old House. I love helping people with home improvement
projects and would love to shadow home improvement legends Tom, Roger,
Richard and Kevin. I would also love to drive around the country in a
GMC pickup, drinking coffee and pulling an enclosed trailer full of
tools. Before living in the show, I would have to practice backing up
trailers into driveways.